Session Brief: Lean Coffee

Goal

Artifact: Prioritized Topics

Working Question

Which topics this group brings today deserve discussion time, and which insights or actions follow from them?

Context

Overarching theme or setting (for example Engineering Guild, Sprint Retrospective Team A); expectation (no predefined agenda); explain format to all invited participants so no one comes with presentations.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 30-90 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: A facilitator controlling timer and voting; three to twenty participants with equal speaking rights; a scribe for notes and action items.
• Owner: A facilitator controlling timer and voting
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Prioritized Topics. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with three columns (To Discuss, Discussing, Discussed); stickies; timer (visible to everyone, for example cuckoo.team); dot voting option; shared note area for action items.

Preparation

Place three columns on wall. Announce voting rule (typically 2 dots per person). Fix time slot per topic in advance (typically 5 min, then Roman vote: continue, another topic, end). Open action-note area.

Agenda

1. 0-10 min (10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Collect topics in silence: each person adds one to three stickies to To Discuss, with short titles. Then allow 30 seconds per sticky for the author to explain. Hint: With over 15 participants, filter topics in small groups first. Otherwise explaining takes more time than discussion. Output: Prioritized Topics

2. 10-15 min (5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Run dot voting: each person places 2 dots. Sort topics by votes. Top topic moves to Discussing. Hint: Voting should be silent and simultaneous, not turn-based. Otherwise the first vote influences the next votes and dynamics are distorted. Output: Discussion Notes

3. 15-75 min (5-60 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: For each topic, run 5-minute timer. Then Roman vote (thumbs up/down/sideways): more time for this topic (+4 minutes), next topic, or end. After end, move sticky to Discussed. Hint: Roman vote is method discipline. Without strict application every discussion expands indefinitely. Facilitator enforces timer even when conversation is interesting. Output: Action Items

4. 75-90 min (5-15 min) Owner: Owner Action: Collect actions: at least one outcome (insight, follow-up meeting, owner for action) per discussed topic. Photograph Discussed column as protocol. Hint: Without action or captured insight, discussion loses impact. Not every topic needs an action, but each needs an entry in the protocol. Output: Prioritized Topics

5. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Prioritized Topics

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Prioritized Topics
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Prioritized Topics: Lean Coffee

Working Question

Which topics this group brings today deserve discussion time, and which insights or actions follow from them?

Context

Overarching theme or setting (for example Engineering Guild, Sprint Retrospective Team A); expectation (no predefined agenda); explain format to all invited participants so no one comes with presentations.

Participants

• Owner: A facilitator controlling timer and voting
• Participants: A facilitator controlling timer and voting; three to twenty participants with equal speaking rights; a scribe for notes and action items.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with three columns (To Discuss, Discussing, Discussed); stickies; timer (visible to everyone, for example cuckoo.team); dot voting option; shared note area for action items.

Template

Lean Coffee Working Template

Goal

Run a self-organized discussion with visible topic selection and timeboxing.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Working area

• Topic pool:
• Votes:
• Timeboxes:
• Decisions to continue or stop:
• Action items:

Output artifacts

• Prioritized topics:
• Discussion notes:
• Action list:

Open questions

• ...

Next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

• Prioritized Topics is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision